Monday, February 25, 2008

After a very supportive pre-march forum, the 100Revs team are on track to March at the Mardi Gras this coming Saturday. Please continue to support us by:

1. Encouraging any ministers/pastors/reverends that you know to march with us or affirm the statement. Ask them to email 100revs@live.com.au.

2. Praying for safety and courage for the marchers both in the march and in their ministries.

3. Praying that this action will have the intended outcome of bringing reconciliation and healing to people in the GLBTI community who have been hurt by the church, and encouraging churches to be welcoming in their attitude to gay people.

If you need details for the march, please email 100Revs@live.com.auPublish PostGrace and PeaceColin Scott

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Whether you are a minister or not, marching or not, please come along to these two events to understand and support the campaign.

The first is a pre March Forum. This is for all suppporters - both ministers who have affirmed the statement and other who would like to support the campaign. The forum will be an opportunity for supporters to meet each other and to hear the story of what has led this Group of Ministers, pastors and Christian Leaders towards Marching in Mardi Gras this year, and to discuss together ways of making the church a place of welcome for the gay community.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Ministering in a community where about 35% of people are gay, we are very conscious of the barrier that the church has been in putting this community in touch with Jesus. The idea began more than a year ago and we finally went public in November 2007 with Mardi Gras 2008 as our target. Now the Mardi Gras looks really close!

A couple of people have raised their concern that involvement in the Mardi Gras may be seen (by church members and perhaps by the Mardi Gras organisers) as an affirmation of the promiscuity and lewdness that are part of the parade.

This is certainly not our intention. The Mardi Gras remains the iconic Gay and Lesbian event and as such is the best way of communicating with the GLBT community as a whole.

So while there is much of the Mardi Gras which disturbs us, it is the best place to communicate with those who we are trying to reach - a strategy that was familiar to Jesus (Matt 11:19; Luke 5:27; John 8:3-11).

As ministers of various churches and denominations we recognise that the churches we belong to, and the church in general, have not been places of welcome for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people. Indeed the church has often been profoundly unloving toward the GLBT community. For these things we apologise, whatever the distinctive of our Christian position on human sexuality – to which we remain committed. We are deeply sorry and ask for the forgiveness of the GLBT community. We long that the church would be a place of welcome for all people and commit ourselves to pursuing this goal.

We ARE a group of Christian ministers who voluntarily and individually bring this apology.

We ARE NOT official representatives of our churches or denominations.

We ARE NOT making a statement on the biblical position on gay and lesbian relationships.

We ARE recognising the lack of hospitality, care and welcome that the churches have offered the gay and lesbian community.